10 Museums in Texas Gulf Coast That You Shouldn't Miss

This outstanding science museum has a spectacular collection of mineral specimens, a dinosaur skeleton, space-station models, a planetarium, IMAX theater and a six-story butterfly center in which these beautiful creatures land delicately on outstretched arms.

This museum, owned by a funeral company, houses the largest collection of funereal artifacts in the U.S., traces the history of funeral services, displays historic hearses and provides memorabilia from funerals of the famous, such as Dwight Eisenhower, Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and Elvis Presley.

A legacy of the philanthropists John and Dominique de Menil, the Menil Collection opened in 1987. The museum presents regular rotations of artworks from its growing permanent collection, organizes special exhibitions and programs throughout the year, publishes scholarly books, and conducts research. The Menil Collection’s main museum building anchors a parklike 30-acre campus, which also includes the Cy Twombly Gallery, a site-specific Dan Flavin installation, the Byzantine Fresco Chapel—now a venue for long-term installations by contemporary artists—and outdoor sculpture.

Visitors can tour the longest serving Essex Class aircraft carrier of World War II. The 16-deck "Blue Ghost" displays military artifacts and more than 20 aircraft. See all five tour routes, 3-D mega theater, Lockdown on the LEX Escape Rooms, mess deck eatery and flight simulator. National Historic Landmark located on North Beach. Elevator from the hangar deck to the flight deck. Welcome aboard! Labor Day - Memorial Day 9am - 5pm Memorial Day - Labor Day & Spring Break 9am - 6pm See admission at https://usslexington.com/visit/hours-admission/

Bayou Bend is the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston's house museum for American decorative arts and paintings. Displayed in the former home of Houston civic leader and philanthropist Ima Hogg (1882-1975), the collection is one of the finest showcases of American furnishings, silver, ceramics, and paintings in the world. The house is situated on 14 acres of organically maintained gardens in Houston's historic River Oaks neighborhood.

Galveston Historical Foundation brought ELISSA, an 1877 square-rigged iron barque, from a scrapyard in Piraeus Harbor, Greece to Galveston to begin restoration work in 1978. By 1982, GHF staff and volunteers completed restoration and transformed this rare, historic vessel into a floating museum that would actively sail. Today, the 1877 Tall Ship ELISSA is one of only three ships of her kind in the world to still actively sail and welcomes over 40,000 visitors annually. She also serves as the Official Tall Ship of Texas, a National Historic Landmark and a symbol of the Gulf Coast’s historic beginnings as a seaport and active waterfront. The 1877 ELISSA welcomes visitors at the Texas Seaport Museum. Experiences Galveston’s maritime history daily.

Restored to its turn of the century splendor, the 28,000 square-foot, four-story structure was completed in 1895. Today, our guests visit 20 rooms on a self-guided tour that depicts the home life of a powerful Texas family. The Moodys established one of the great American financial empires. Based on cotton, it grew to include banking, ranching, insurance and hotels. The mansion is one of the finest places to visit, a trip back in time. Touring the museum should definitely be on the top on the list for things to do on Historic Galveston Island. Tour Information: Self-guided Audio Tours: Children 6 & Under Free Self-guided audio tours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (last tickets sold at 4p.m.; house closes at 5 p.m.) Behind-the-scenes Tours: Exclusive docent-guided tours to areas not normally open to the public 4 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday | limited size tours | reservations highly recommended Group Tours: Moody Mansion tour descriptions: Self-guided audio tours: Two audio tours allow you to set your own pace through the house and grounds. • The Moody Family tour features six members of the Moody family telling stories about their ancestors. This tour is also translated into Spanish. • Mary’s tour, appropriate for children and adults, is narrated by an actress portraying the late Mary Moody Northen as if she were guiding you through her home. Guided 25th Anniversary Tour: Behind-the-scenes tours celebrate the 25th anniversary of Moody Mansion’s restoration. A knowledgeable docent guides guests through areas not normally open to the public, describing Mary Moody Northen’s vision for preserving her home and sharing her collections. These tours are conducted at 4 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tour size is limited; reservations are highly recommended.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, is the largest cultural institution in the southwest region of the United States. The Museum’s encyclopedic collections of nearly 70,000 objects cover world cultures dating from antiquity to the present and include in-depth holdings of American art, European paintings, Pre-Columbian and African gold, decorative arts and design, photography, prints and drawings, 20th- and 21st-century painting and sculpture, and Latin American art.